Tigers drop in two of three baseball polls

The USA TODAY Sports Top 25 baseball coaches’ poll, with RECORDS THROUGH SUNDAY, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last week’s poll and first-place votes received:

The USA TODAY Sports Board of Coaches is made up of 31 coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Clemson #15 in Collegiate Baseball Poll

TUCSON, Ariz. — Vanderbilt (41-6) is ranked No. 1 in Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s NCAA Division I baseball poll after winning eight consecutive games and 22 of its last 24.

The Commodores only played two games last week at South Carolina which Vanderbilt won. Game three of the series was rained out. Vanderbilt is first in the Southeastern Conference with a 21-2 record. Teams ranked 2-9 in last week's poll remained the same this week.

Poll Notes: Several other teams have been hot. Sam Houston St. has won nine straight and leads the Southland Conference with a 15-6 record while Troy has captured 11 of its last 12. In key series over the past weekend, Louisiana St. swept a 3-game series at home against Florida, Florida St. swept three from Central Florida, Arizona St. lost two of three at home to Stanford, Arkansas won two of three against Kentucky, Arizona lost two of three at home to Washington and lost another earlier in the week to Arizona St., and Mississippi St. swept a 3-game series at home against Alabama. Three teams fell out of the top 30 this week in Florida (4 straight losses), Arizona (1-3 last week) and Central Florida (1-3). New to the poll is Troy (35-12), Sam Houston St. (31-17), and Kansas St. (34-15, tied for first in the Big 12 Conference at 11-7).

The Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll is the oldest college baseball poll. Its birth took place during the 1957 college baseball season.

DURHAM, N.C.—North Carolina’s run at No. 1 in the Baseball America College Top 25 rankings continued after the Tar Heels improved to 42-4 with a win against The Citadel in their only game of the week.

The top seven teams remained unchanged from last week after all posted undefeated weeks, highlighted by Vanderbilt’s winning two games on the road at No. 15 South Carolina. The Tar Heels and Commodores occupied the first two spots in the preseason rankings and have held those spots in all but two weeks this season. No. 3 Louisiana State also knocked off a ranked opponent, sweeping then-No. 21 Florida to push the Gators out of the rankings.

There was some shuffling at the back of the top 10 brought on by Arizona State’s home series loss to Stanford. The Sun Devils fell from No. 8 to No. 13 this week, while UCLA, Florida State and Oregon each moved up a spot. Arkansas also moved up three spots to No. 11 for its road series win against Kentucky.

Stanford was one of three teams to join the rankings this week, coming back in at No. 25. Big East Conference co-leaders South Florida and Pittsburgh make their 2013 rankings debuts at Nos. 23 and 24, respectively. South Florida’s last Top 25 appearance came in March 1997. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is ranked for the first time since May 2010 and just the second time ever.

The staff of Baseball America determines the Top 25 rankings. Records indicated are through games of May 5 and do not include ties.